These men in uniform have their own peculiar way of looking at things and making judgments. Gen (retd) Nadeem Ahmad’s observation in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that no state institution was to blame for Osama bin Laden’s undetected presence in Abbottabad amounts to prejudging the high-powered enquiry into the discovery and death of the world’s No 1 terrorist in a garrison town of Pakistan.
The argument that the military or its intelligence apparatus could not do such a stupid thing as providing a safe haven to bin Laden raises serious questions. Its veracity can be challenged on the basis of action being taken against many intelligence personnel for their links with terrorist organisations. There is something terribly wrong with our intelligence system. More often that not, it works to keep the militants informed about the security measures taken by the armed forces for the protection of their installations. This is what happened in the case of a recent attack on the Mehran Base.
Pakistan’s political leadership and the security establishment are justified in taking offence at the repeated ‘do more’ mantra by American diplomats, especially when our army has suffered more casualties in the ongoing war on terror than all the Western allies fighting in Afghanistan put together. They must also be genuinely concerned about the West not paying any heed to their calls for respecting our sovereignty. But then the military high command cannot escape the blame for its failure to rein in the rogue elements in the agencies providing covert support to the terrorists carrying out attacks across the country.
It is against this backdrop that the worldview about the dubious role of our military’s intelligence agencies has remained unchanged. Instead of keeping surveillance on the elements involved in anti-state activities, they continued acting beyond the call of their duty. Corps Commander Quetta Lt Gen Javed Zia was right in that the killing of missing persons and dumping of their bodies in different parts of the province could cause separation of Balochistan. It’s the first time ever that any senior army commander has given expression to the genuine grievances of the Baloch who have been clamouring about the excesses committed against them by the security personnel.
During his interaction with local editors and senior journalists at the Quetta Club, he seemed perturbed over the situation where women kept receiving the bodies of their husbands, brothers and sons. And he might also understand how much hatred it could cause among the people of Balochistan. But he did not appear to be candid in his view when he dispelled the perception about the Frontier Corps or the army’s intelligence agencies being involved in killings the civilians. Perhaps, he would have avoided defending the infallibility of the institution he represents had he made a quick glance of the situation prevailing in the province during the Musharraf era.
It was the worst period of our history when the personnel of the intelligence agencies had been given a free rein to kidnap the ordinary citizens on the mere suspicion of their connections with terrorist networks. Balochistan tops the list when it comes to counting the forced disappearances and the number of bodies found lying on the roadside in different parts of the province. That those responsible for the assassination of Nawab Akbar Bugti were called to the Army House and given a pat on the back for the ‘act of gallantry’ they had performed clearly shows that it was all happening under the official patronage.
It was heartening to hear from Gen Javed Zia that the army had realised that the killings of missing persons could lead to the separation of Balochistan. But a lot of effort is required to restore the confidence of the Baloch population. They were up in arms against the military and its intelligence agencies for subjecting them to victimisation. They were being punished for raising their voice for the protection of their rights. What Musharraf had failed to realise was that by killing Nawab Akbar Bugti, who was widely known for his strong federalist thinking, he would not only be exacerbating the sense of insecurity among the people of Balochistan but also lending strength to the separatist elements. The Baloch youth allegedly involved in carrying out subversive activities needs to be dealt with patience rather than coercion.
The crisis in Balochistan calls for government’s immediate attention. The army can do itself a great favour by letting the elected leadership resolve it by engaging the nationalist leadership in talks. It should better focus on purging its agencies of the rogue elements. This could help Pakistan show to the world at large that it has not lost the ability to establish its writ on its territory.
The writer is Executive Editor, Pakistan Today
People like Gen Nadeem Ahmed should never have been included in this commission given their baggage. The gentleman lacks common sense which he has displayed by exposing his bias while talking to to Australian journalist. Does he not know that as long as he is a member of this commission, he has no business to give vent to his personal opinions or judgements, when the commission has not yet completed their task. Well done Sarmad.
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